Bonner County murder suspect arrested by U.S. Marshals in Spokane

A man wanted for murder in Bonner County, Idaho, was arrested Wednesday in Spokane by a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force.

Neal Mouser, 59, is a suspect in the murder of a man found alongside a road in the Upper Pack River area.

Brandon Vern Hurst, 38, was found on Dec. 10 with several gunshot wounds, according to the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.

An arrest warrant charging Mouser with first-degree murder was issued Tuesday by Bonner County District Court in Sandpoint, according to a news release from the U.S. Marshals’ office. The suspected co-conspirator in Vern Hurst’s murder, Cantrip Gatens, 28, was arrested on Tuesday by Bonner County deputies.

The U.S. Marshals Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force discovered that Mouser had moved to Washington and conducted surveillance on him near the 300 block of South Greene Street . They identified Mouser on foot and arrested him, the Marshals said.

“The great teamwork and sharing of intelligence between local, state and federal law enforcement in Idaho and Washington contributed to the quick apprehension of a dangerous fugitive,” said Brent Bunn, U.S. Marshal for the District of Idaho.